Devices for use in the production of ice in refrigerators



R. S. CURRY March 29, 1955 DEVICES FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF ICE IN REFRIGERATORS Filed March 14, 1952 United States Patent DEVICES FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF ICE IN REFRIGERATORS Robert Stanley Curry, Bletchley, England Application March 14, 1952, Serial No. 276,667

8 Claims. (Cl. 62108.5)

The present invention relates to devices for the production of ice in refrigerators and more particularly in domestic refrigerators.

Existing ice freezing trays for domestic refrigerators sulfer from various drawbacks. For example, they easily become iced up, so that it is troublesome and ditlicult to remove them from the ice freezing compartment of the refrigerator; and, it is no easy matter to remove a single ice cube or only a few ice cubes from them without wasting the remainting ice cubes. The alternative standard pattern of ice tray which is in common use and which is composed of an india rubber or like resilient composition material, although superior to the metal pattern of ice tray in these respects compares very unfavorably with the latter as regards the time taken to freeze a given quantity of water; and moreover they are liable to be perforated by the sharp edges of the ice cubes when the latter are being ejected.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device whereby the above-mentioned disadvantages are reduced or overcome.

According to the invention there is provided a device for use in the production of ice in refrigerators, comprising a cup made from natural or artificial rubber or like resilient material of poor heat conductivity and metallic means projecting through the base of said cup and serving to provide between the interior and the exterior of said cup a path of good heat conductivity compared with said material.

According to the invention also there is provided a device for use in the production of ice in refrigerators, comprising a sheet of natural or artificial rubber or like resilient material of poor heat conductivity formed with a plurality of cups each provided with metallic means projecting through the bottom of the cup and serving to provide between the interior and the exterior of said cup a path of good heat conductivity compared with the conductivity of said material.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect it will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevation of a device according to one form of the invention,

Figure 2 is an isometric view of a tray for use with a plurality of devices according to Figure 1, two of which are shown disposed in the tray, on a smaller scale than Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view in sectional elevation of the tray and cup of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a view in sectional elevation of a device according to another form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the device shown in Figure 1 comprises a cup 1 of frusto-conical form, made from natural or artificial rubber, polythene or like resilient material. A metal insert 2 formed by the circular head of a rivet is disposeed within the cup 1 in close contact with the inner surface thereof, and the shank 3 of said rivet has firmly secured on the outer end thereof a dished, i. e. downwardly concave metal disc 4 which serves as a supporting base for the cup 1. As shown, the disc 4 extends below the bottom wall of the cup so that the lower surface of the disc 4 is spaced downwardly from the lower surface of the bottom of said cup, so that when the device stands on the base formed by the disc 4, the lower surface of the bottom of the cup is above the level of the surface 2,704,928 Patented Mar. 29, 1955 which supports the disc 4. The insert 2, shank 3 and disc 4 are made from a metal of good heat conductivity such as copper, which is especially suitable for the insert since it is non-corrosive. If desired the said metal parts may be plated with silver or other metal of good heat conductivity. The insert 2 is shaped to prevent the ice block formed within the cup 1 from becoming locked to said insert and for this purpose the upper edge of the insert may be bevelled as shown or the upper surface of the insert 2 may be convex.

A plurality of devices as shown in Figure 1 may be used in conjunction with a tray as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The said tray 7 is of substantially rectangular form and is formed with a plurality of holes 8 of such diameter that the frusto-conical cups 1 can be inserted into said holes 8 so as to project from the lower surface of the tray but are incapable of passing through said holes 8. The tray 7 is also provided with legs 9 which are shorter than the extent to which the devices project from the lower surface of tray 7 when the cups 1 are supported by the edges of the holes 8. Longitudinal strengthening ribs 7' are provided. The tray 7, which is of a selfsupporting character and may be made for example from metal or synthetic resin, for example polythene, is provided with curved finger pieces 9a at its ends.

The tray 7 serves as a useful means for lifting the de vices, two of which are shown in the tray, for the purpose of inserting them into and removing them from the ice-making compartment of a refrigerator. In use, the desired number of devices are loaded into the holes 8 and are filled with water. The tray is then lifted by means of the finger pieces 9a and placed in the ice-making compartment. Due to the legs 9 being short as above-described, when the tray is placed on the floor of said compartment so as to stand on the legs 9, the devices are not supported by the edges of the holes 8 but are supported individually by their discs 4, as shown in Figure 3. Good heat conducting contact is thus afforded between the discs 4 and the floor of the ice-making compartment. In addition, in the event of water being spilt around or from the cups during filling thereof or during transfer of the tray to the ice-making compartment, the space between the cups 1 and the edges of the holes 8 makes the risk of the cups becoming frozen to the tray less than would be the case if the cups were in contact with said edges round the whole periphery thereof. The provision in each device of the insert 2, shank 3 and support 4, all of which are made from good heat conducting material, provides a path of good heat conductivity between the interior of the cup and the floor of the ice-making chamber, and the time required for the water to freeze is accordingly considerably less than would be the case if said path were not provided, since heat is conducted from the water within the cup via a path of good heat conductivity instead of via the rubber or like resilient material from which the cup is made and which is of relatively poor heat conductivity.

In order to remove an ice block from the cup, it is only necessary to allow the device to stand at room temperature for a few minutes to permit the formation of a film of water between the ice block and the cup, and then to squeeze the cup with the fingers and thumb of one hand to eject the ice block from the cup or to invert the cup to enable the block to fall out. If the ice is required immediately after its removal from the refrigerator the block may be loosened from the cup by a sharp blow on the support 4. The devices may be course be removed individually from the ice-making chambers as required, or the tray loaded with cups may be removed from the chamber as a unit. If desired, individual ice blocks may be made by using one or more of the cups alone, that is to say without employing the tray.

If desired, supporting strips may be provided along the edges of the tray, or along two opposite edges thereof, instead of the legs 9.

If desired, the cups with the ice blocks therein may be removed from the tray and served in a mounting comprising a pedestal carrying say four rings each adapted to support one of the cups, or a shelf formed with holes into which the cups may be inserted.

' aromas In the device shown in Figure 4, the cups 10 are formed by suitably shaping a thin flexible sheet 11 made from natural or artificial mbber, polythene or the like. In order to render the device self-supporting a reinforcing sheet 12 of any suitable material is secured to the sheet 11 the sheet 12 having holes 13 in register with the cups 10. In the arrangement shown the sheet 12 is applied to the side of sheet 11 opposite to that from which the cups 10 project. If desired, it may be applied to the other side, or a reinforcing sheet may be applied to both sides of sheet 11. There is thereby formed a relatively rigid composite plate having resilient cups 10 projecting therefrom. The cups 10 are provided with means similar to those shown in the arrangement of Figure 1, for providing a good heat-conducting path between the interior of the cups and the floor of the ice-making compartment of a refrigerator. The composite plate is not provided with legs since it is supported by the supports 4 of the cups. It may be provided with finger pieces and with a metal or other beading around its edges to provide further reinforcement. In order to eject an ice block from one of the cups, the base of the cup is pressed inwards, that is to say towards the mouth of the cup.

In either of the arrangements described, instead of standing the devices directly on the floor of the icemaking chamber they may be stood on a metal plate the bottom surface of which is coated with a film of low-freezing liquid, for example glycerine or alcohol, so as to prevent the supports of the cups from becoming frozen to said floor. Another expedient which may be adapted for this purpose is to stand the tray carrying the cups or the plate having the cups formed therein in a low-freezing liquid contained in a tray standing on or formed as said floor or a part thereof.

The base 4 of each cup has an annular concavity, as shown, so as to lessen the area of contact with the fioor of the ice-making chamber thereby further reducing the tendency for the cups to become frozen to said floor.

I claim:

1. A device for use in the production of ice in refrigerators, comprising a cup made of resilient material of poor heat conductivity, a metal insert within said cup at the bottom thereof, a metal base exterior to said cup capable of serving as a support for said cup, said base having a lower surface which is spaced downwardly from the lower surface of the bottom of said cup, and a metal shank passing through the wall of said cup into heat conducting connection with said insert and said base, whereby there is provided between the interior and the exterior of said cup a path of good heat conductivity as compared with the heat conductivity of said resilient material.

2. A device for use in the production of ice in refrigerators, comprising a cup made of resilient material of poor heat conductivity, a metal insert within said cup at the bottom thereof, a metal base disposed exterior to said cup and capable of serving as a supporting base for the said cup, and a metal shank in heat conducting connection with said insert and said base, said base having a concave lower surface which is spaced downwardly from the lower surface of the bottom of said cup.

3. A device for use in the production of ice in refrigerators, comprising a sheet of resilient material of poor heat conductivity formed with a plurality of cups according to claim 1.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said sheet is provided with a reinforcing sheet provided with openings in register with said cups whereby to make said device substantially rigid except for said cups.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein the lower surface of the metal base of each of said cups is formed with a concavity.

6. In combination, a tray provided with a plurality of openings, and a plurality of cups of tapered form to enable said cups to be inserted in and project beyond but not to pass through said openings, said cups being made from resilient material of poor heat conductivity and being each provided with metallic means projecting through the bottom of the cup to provide a path of good heat conductivity, between the interior and the exterior of said cup, as compared with the conductivity of said material, and said tray being provided with supporting means which are shorter than the length of cup which projects below said tray when the cups are supported by said tray.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein said metallic means comprise a metal insert within each of said cups at the bottom thereof, a metal base disposed exterior to said cup, and a metal shank in heat-conducting connection with said insert and said metal base.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 6, where said metallic means comprises a base disposed exterior to said cup and having a concavity in its lower surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

